It is common for different types of liquids and solutions to be used during medical procedures. Liquids range from simple medications to complex chemicals used for intravenous infusion. In surgical procedures different liquid glues and special chemicals are very often needed during the procedures. Newer and more advanced compounds are being introduced regularly into medicine and into revolutionary new surgical interventions. It is a fact that chemical reactions occur much more efficiently and faster as the temperature of the chemicals increase. It is also a fact that the inside of a human body has a temperature of almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is of no surprise that in medicine there are some liquid solutions that also work more efficiently and interact better with the body when they are administered warm. Often times hospital facilities have heated cabinets to heat solutions and water bottles. The problem is that Operating rooms as well as most of the areas designated for performing medical procedures are kept extremely cold. The cold temperature helps prevent infection and microorganism growth. It is not uncommon for the temperature in these rooms to be maintained at 60 degrees. Another problem is that, most procedures require the solutions to be sterile. This creates a problem. First, even if the solutions were kept very warm, a soon as they are introduced into the large cold room would cool down quickly. Second, since the solutions are sterile the must be removed from their containers and maintained separately for when it is needed in the procedure. Having a solution warm and ready at the exact time the doctor needs it during a medical procedure is almost impossible. Solving this problem is useful for the future. For example, there is some evidence that powerful emergency medications that breakdown crucial clots work more effectively if they are administered warm, since it is not easy to have the solution heated immediately prior to its use, this evidence has not been followed up and largely ignored. Also, it is possible that in the future new sterile glues for orthopedic procedures or other compounds for surgery might need to be heated immediately prior to their sterile use.
Prior art has for a long time described mechanisms and devices for heating liquids. Unfortunately, none of these prior devices can be used during most medical procedures and they most definitely cannot be used to heat solutions intended for use in these procedures. The reason is related to sterility. In medicine, all fluids that come in contact with the interior of the human body must be 100% free of bacteria and must be considered sterile. In order for sterile solutions to be heated, they must be heated in a sterile environment. The majority of apparatuses designed to heat liquids function using electricity. Due to the delicate electrical parts, these apparatuses can not be sterilized. It is not only the part that comes in contact with the liquid that must be sterile; the entire apparatus must be sterile in order to be within the sterile operative field. Even if the current apparatuses designed to heat solutions could be sterilized would still be inadequate for several reasons. They are large and bulky making them unlikely to be used during medical procedures where instrument and supply space is very limited.
Second, their complicated electrical design makes them expensive and prohibitive for widespread use during medical procedures. Additionally, even if the machines could be purchased by the hospital the cost related to sterilizing them every case would in it self be prohibitive. Not to mention that equipment that is re sterilized in the hospital carry a greater risk for infection compared to single use disposable sterile supplies. In order to adequately solve the problem what is needed is a sterile, single patient use, disposable device. To allow for widespread use, the device must be inexpensive as well as small so that it does not take up a great deal of space. The device must be able to heat solutions quickly and also maintain the solutions heated and sterile for at least the entire length of the procedure. It is important for the device to also allow the doctor or nurse too quickly and easily insert and remove solutions from inside the apparatus. Finally, the device must be safe for use during medical procedures.